MCA, directed by Venu Sriram, explores the love-hate relationship between Nani and Bhumika, who plays his sister-in-law.

It’s amazing how comfortably Nani slips into the shoes of a boy-next-door and he’s done it twice already this year. Nenu Local and MCA are the kind of films that are made with the sole intention of establishing Nani as a commercial star. Having hit the bull’s eye with Nenu Local, he’s likely to repeat the magic with MCA, which, despite treading a predictable family drama path, shines in parts, thanks to earnest performances from its lead cast.

MCA, directed by Venu Sriram, explores the love-hate relationship between Nani and Bhumika, who plays his sister-in-law. Nani is very close to his brother Rajeev, and the moments between them in the initial portion of the film are fun. He feels distanced when Bhumika enters his life and that’s what causes the friction between them. The familial portion is fun, though you get the feeling of having watched it so many times over the years in several films. If not for Nani, who brings so much life into this portion with his effervescent presence, it’d have been a tiresome watch.

The title stands for Middle Class Abbayi, and akin to it, the middle portion of the film is probably the best and equally entertaining segment of the film. You can forget the class in the story. Nevertheless, MCA is still watchable, particularly because the romance between Nani and Sai Pallavi, who are adorable as a pair, is one of the best things about the film. It’s slightly disappointing to see Pallavi in a silly role after making a splash with Fidaa earlier this year; however, she’s still terrific in her part and that’s a relief.

Bhumika, as the sister-in-law, in a decent role rises up to the occasion and delivers a measured performance. Nani, on the other hand, does full justice to his natural star tag. Very few actors can make even a silly character click and Nani has mastered it. But, the million dollar question is how long he can continue playing similar roles because sooner or later audiences will find his performance repetitive.